Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition, December 1955 — page 112: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

110 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION She came to him and laid her cheek against his. ““Yes,” she whispered. ‘““Yes, my dearest.”’ XIX Langley didn’t exactly smuggle Marin back to his apartment—if she were noticed, it wouldn’t excite much comment—but he did try to be discreet about it. Then he surprised himself by sleeping better than he had done for weeks. On the following day, he took microcopies of all the library data on the Society, as well as having the robot prepare a summary, and stuck the spool in his purse. It was dismaying to reflect what a series of thin links his hopes depended on. Valti’s character was one; he thought the trader could shake off a lifetime’s conditioning enough to look a few facts and a little reasoning in the face, but was he sure? Mardos had him in for another interview. The historian was getting eager, as one unknown datum after another emerged. Some of his careful cynicism dropped off: “Think of it! The very dawn of the technological and space-travel era—the most crucial epoch since man invented agriculture —and you lived in it! You know, you’ve already upset a dozen well- established theories. We had no idea that there was so much cultural difference between nations, then, for instance. It explains a good many ' puzzling features of later history.” “So you'll write a book?” asked Langley. He was having a hard time keeping up the act, it was all he could do not to pace the floor and chain- smoke as he waited for evening. “Oh, yes . . . yes.” Mardos got a shy look on his face. “And yet... well, I started out with the notion that I might get some small fame and an upgrading out of this. Now I don’t care. It’s only the job itself, the learning, that matters. You . . . you’ve shown me a little of what it must have been like in your age, the feeling of discovery. I’ve never known what real happiness was before.” “Ph * “Tt’ll take years to build up a coherent picture. What you can tell us will have to be correlated with the archeological evidence. No hurry, no need to rush you. Why not come to my place for dinner tonight? We’ll relax, maybe have a few drinks and some music—”’ “Uh . . . no. No, thanks. I’m busy.” “Tomorrow, then? My wife would like to meet you. Father knows I’ve been talking of nothing else at home.” “All right.” Langley felt like a skunk. When the interview was over, he had to restrain himself from saying good-by. The sun slipped down under the horizon. Langley and Marin ate supper in the apartment without tasting it. Her eyes were thoughtful as they looked across a twilit world. “Will you miss Earth?” he asked. She smiled gently. “‘A little. Now and then. But not too much, with you rome COMICOOKS.COM ; ~~ foie